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Aircraft maintenance technician Ryan Gomes says he discovered his calling during a dinner conversation with a pilot for Fedex.

"I was originally going to be an automotive mechanic. But when he asked if I thought about working on airplanes, I changed my mind and applied at Centennial (College in Toronto) to be an aircraft maintenance technician." Now he's logging the hours he needs at Tri City Aero Maintenance Inc. at the Waterloo Regional Airport to get his aircraft maintenance engineer certification.

Gomes says he's thrilled he made that choice. "I love working on planes. It's just a completely different feeling from cars. There's so much history involved; most of the planes I work on are way older than me. Every time I see one, I get a nostalgic feeling of aviation and where that plane has been."

Gomes is also a top performer in his field. He is representing Canada in the aircraft maintenance category at the 2011 WorldSkills competition being held in London, England this fall.

According to Shaun Thorson, executive director for Skills Canada in Gatineau, aircraft maintenance was added to the WorldSkills roster in 2009. "Canada's been one of the leading countries to have it added at the international level. It seems natural given it's a global profession."

Thorson notes there is definitely a demand to find good qualified people in aircraft maintenance. "It's an extremely important profession in Canada. One of the challenges is that the skill sets aren't always available."

Demand seems to be on the upswing, says Gordon Turner, associate dean, aerospace programs for the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). "As a career choice, it's very diverse. You could work in a hangar overhauling planes or work on helicopters. You can go into corporate aviation, private club or airlines. All of these areas need technicians."

It can also take you anywhere in the world, he adds. "If you come out here and find yourself a job with Canadian Helicopter Corporation for example, you could end up working in Brazil, Afghanistan, the high Arctic or in the mountains. The first thing you have to do, however, is secure your license through work experience."

That work experience follows two years of education at a Transport Canada-accredited college. BCIT's aircraft maintenance engineering (AME) program offers three options: maintenance (AME M), electronics (AME E) and structures (AME S). AME M is the more generalist designation and the largest of the programs.

BCIT students are scored on both practical and academic skill, and must achieve a mark of 70 per cent or higher. "It's not to be taken lightly. You can expect two hours of homework a night or more," Turner says.

Students then go to the workplace to finish their 30 months of work experience and complete their logbooks. Then they write a final exam to become licensed. Since licensing is on a federal level at Transport Canada, graduates can work in any province.

Beyond the paper credentials, there are other skills that come into play for a successful career. "Good hand skills and the ability to interpret technical instructions and apply them are important," Turner adds. "Once you're done you can expect to get up to $35 an hour for a non-lead role with an airline or maintenance repair organization."

Attention to details is also critical, Thorson confirms. "It's an occupation where there can be serious consequences if anything is not done according to standards."

Gomes will be the first to admit it can be stressful. "The industry demands perfection and you have to be able to maintain that aircraft so it's safe and fit for flight. There's no room for error. Along with that is the time management. It's a fast-paced job where you have to be physically active and able to crawl into small spaces. But that's what makes it fun."

He has also mapped out his career plans for coming years. "I want to experience all of aviation, not just one type of aircraft," he says. "When I get my M1 license for smaller aircraft, then I'd like to work on the bigger M2 stuff. Once I have both I can work on anything."

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